Republican Party’s candidate in the forthcoming United States of America presidential election, Donald Trump on Monday blamed US President Joe Biden and his election rival, Kamala Harris after he was targeted in a second apparent assassination attempt.
He said their “rhetoric” about him endangering democracy is to blame.
On Sunday, a man allegedly planned to fire on the Republican while he played golf in Florida.
The suspect, identified by police as 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh, was arrested soon after being spotted while hiding with an assault-style rifle at the edge of Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach. US Secret Service agents opened fire, and he fled before surrendering without a struggle.
On Monday, Routh appeared in court where he was informed he was being charged with illegal firearms possession. He appeared calm and did not speak, other than to say “yes” to questions from the judge.
More charges are expected at a later date, with the FBI probing what it said “appears to be an attempted assassination.”
According to an FBI criminal complaint, Routh seems to have spent nearly 12 hours on the perimeter of the Trump golf course, based on cell phone records.
On July 13, the former president was grazed by a bullet in an attack at a Pennsylvania rally, which also saw a supporter in the crowd killed before the lone gunman was shot dead by return fire.
Trump, 78, who was not hurt in Sunday’s event said that rhetoric from Biden and Harris “is causing me to be shot at when I am the one who is going to save the country.”
Trump was referring to frequent comments that he poses a “threat to democracy.”
By Dave Oludare Oso
